It seemed like every union official except John Setka scored an invitation to Anthony Albanese’s Jobs and Skills Summit.
In contrast, Qantas chief Alan Joyce was crammed into the middle of a long second-last row of seats – the economy class treatment it seems – while Wesfarmers chief executive Rob Scott, the boss of one of the nation’s biggest private sector employers found himself relegated to the back row, alongside Visy chief Anthony Pratt.
At its heart, multi–employer bargaining involves bargaining for one agreement with multiple businesses. McManus wants it to apply to low-paid, female-dominated industries that rely on government funding, such as child care and aged care, although critics fear it could open the door to industry-wide bargaining.The push for multi-employer bargaining may have only emerged publicly in the days leading up to the summit but in one sense it has never been too far from the surface.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil also flagged lifting the $53,900 minimum income threshold that temporary skilled migrants have to be paid , which would raise the cost of importing foreign workers. Australian Mines and Metals Association chief Steve Knott, who was left off the guest list for the summit, toldthe BCA and COSBOA had been played by the unions. “It’s almost like the weakest link. The [unions] go and pick off the lowest hanging fruit,” Knott says.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton said he had been vindicated in staying away from the summit after it delivered a big win for unions and revitalised the movement.
It’s not a done deal yet
Business has been silent from a leadership and productivity viewpoint for decades, and have prioritised cultural and environment matters. reapwhatyousow
More like ‘coercive control‘
Unions scored a win under Labour, the surprise!